Updates on North Carolina's Leslie McDonald and P.J. Hairston's Eligibility

The North Carolina Tar Heels are hoping to receive a huge boost at some point this season as star guards Leslie McDonald and P.J. Hairston continue to sort out eligibility questions.

According to Yahoo! Sports' Rand Getlin, the university was expected to clear senior guard Leslie McDonald this December, making him eligible to return to the court for Roy Williams' squad before the conclusion of the Tar Heels' non-conference campaign.

The NCAA later confirmed and specified McDonald has been "cleared to compete in the school’s next competition," which is Wednesday, Dec. 18, against Texas.

If former North Carolina guard P.J. Hairston wants to play in the NBA’s Development League this season, and a D-League franchise wants to sign him, there’s nothing in the league’s rules that would preclude that.

According to D-League spokesperson Joanna Shapiro, if a player is ruled ineligible by the NCAA (as Hairston was) and he’s at least 18 and his high school class has graduated (applicable), he’s eligible to sign a D-League contract.

Shapiro added that once a player signs a pro contract, D-League or otherwise, he immediately becomes eligible for the NBA draft the following spring.